Folks, I love hot sauce. I also like trying new ones, always in search of the perfect sauce. It’s difficult because I like a lot of heat, but a lot of flavor, too. And I don’t like sweet sauces or sauces with a lot of vinegar.
My two favorite sauces currently are the Bend Sauce, made in my very own state of Oregon, and the Adoboloco Hamajang sauce. The Bend Sauce is not too hot, but has amaaaazing flavor. It also isn’t full of vinegar or sugar. The Adoboloco Hamajang sauce is VERY HOT, but is a bit vinegary. Sometimes put them both on my burritos and tacos for the best of both worlds.
My honey is the best. He bought me a hot sauce making kit! (You can check that out Here.) The thought of making my own hot sauce had never crossed my mind! But now… the possibilities are endless! Or at least there are many possibilities.
I chose to start with chipotle, habanero, and ancho pasilla peppers. I let them soak in hot water to soften them up.
After they were softened, de-stemmed, and de-seeded, I added the spice mix from the DIY kit (that smells a lot like cumin), some onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Now, some of you pepper people may wonder why I took the seeds out. That, after all, is a great source of heat! Well, I’m following the instructions… the first time. I’m wondering if it makes it too thick/fiberous?
I then added water and about half the apple cider vinegar that they suggested. I let it simmer, and it smelled great! As you can imagine, I had the oven fan on to make sure I didn’t gas myself, my husband, or our pets.
After several tweaks and tastings, I landed on what I felt was acceptable. I ended up adding a teaspoon of sugar (it was just a bit too acidic and harsh without it), and more spices, a tiny bit of vinegar and a little more water, the last two really for pourability. It started out pretty thick, otherwise.
Voila! I have my own smoky, chipotle hot sauce that has a fair amount of heat to it, not too much vinegar, and only a little sugar! It made enough to fill the glass bottle and a squeeze bottle, so I may give a squeezy away to a friend. I have a feeling this is going to be a fantastic new hobby for me!
The Happy Viking 